1,326 research outputs found
Alien Registration- De Beaulieu, Katherine F. (Portland, Cumberland County)
https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/24493/thumbnail.jp
On-sky observations with an achromatic hybrid phase knife coronagraph in the visible
CONTEXT: The four-quadrant phase mask stellar coronagraph, introduced by D.
Rouan et al., is capable of achieving very high dynamical range imaging and was
studied in the context of the direct detection of extra-solar planets.
Achromatic four-quadrant phase mask is currently being developed for broadband
IR applications. AIMS: We report on laboratory and on-sky tests of a prototype
coronagraph in the visible. This prototype, the achromatic hybrid phase knife
coronagraph, was derived from the four-quadrant phase mask principle. METHODS:
The instrumental setup implementing the coronagraph itself was designed to
record the pre- and post-coronagraphic images simultaneously so that an
efficient real-time image selection procedure can be performed. We describe the
coronagraph and the associated tools that enable robust and repeatable
observations. We present an algorithm of image selection that has been tested
against the real on-sky data of the binary star HD80081 (* 38 Lyn). RESULTS
Although the observing conditions were poor, the efficiency of the proposed
method is proven. From this experiment, we derive procedures that can apply to
future focal instruments associating adaptive optics and coronagraphy,
targeting high dynamic range imaging in astronomy, such as detecting
extra-solar planets
Stellar luminosity functions of rich star clusters in the Large Magellanic Cloud
We show the results of deep V and I HST photometry of 6 rich star clusters in
the Large Magellanic Cloud with different ages and metallicities. The number of
stars with measured magnitudes in each cluster varies from about 3000 to 10000.
We build stellar density and surface brightness profiles for the clusters and
extract half-light radii and other structural parameters for each. We also
obtain luminosity functions, Phi (Mv), down to Mv ~ 6 (m/msun > 0.6), and
investigate their dependence with distance from the cluster centre well beyond
their half-light radius. In all clusters we find a systematic increase in the
luminosity function slope with radial distance from the centre. Among the
clusters displaying significant mass segregation are the two youngest in the
sample: NGC 1805 and NGC 1818. For these two clusters we obtain present-day
mass functions. The NGC 1818 mass function is in excellent agreement with that
derived by other authors, also using HST data. They young cluster mass function
slopes differ, that of NCG 1805 being systematically steeper than NGC 1818.
Since these are very young stellar systems (age < 40 Myrs), these variations
may reflect the initial conditions rather than evolution due to internal
dynamics.Comment: 10 pages, 24 figure
Does the Milky Way have a Maximal Disk?
The Milky Way is often considered to be the best example of a spiral for
which the dark matter not only dominates the outer kinematics, but also plays a
major dynamical role in the inner galaxy: the Galactic disk is therefore said
to be ``sub-maximal.'' This conclusion is important to the understanding of the
evolution of galaxies and the viability of particular dark matter models. The
Galactic evidence rests on a number of structural and kinematic measurements,
many of which have recently been revised. The new constraints indicate not only
that the Galaxy is a more typical member of its class (Sb-Sc spirals) than
previously thought, but also require a re-examination of the question of
whether or not the Milky Way disk is maximal. By applying to the Milky Way the
same definition of ``maximal disk'' that is applied to external galaxies, it is
shown that the new observational constraints are consistent with a Galactic
maximal disk of reasonable . In particular, the local disk column can be
substantially less than the oft-quoted required \Sigma_{\odot} \approx 100
\msolar pc^{-2} - as low as 40 \msolar pc^{-2} in the extreme case - and
still be maximal, in the sense that the dark halo provides negligible rotation
support in the inner Galaxy. This result has possible implications for any
conclusion that rests on assumptions about the potentials of the Galactic disk
or dark halo, and in particular for the interpretation of microlensing results
along both LMC and bulge lines of sight.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal. 23
Latex-generated pages, one (new) table, three figures (two new). A few
additions to the bibliography, an expanded discussion, and slight
quantitative changes, none of which affect the conclusion
Fragment Isospin as a Probe of Heavy-Ion Collisions
Isotope ratios of fragments produced at mid-rapidity in peripheral and
central collisions of 114Cd ions with 92Mo and 98Mo target nuclei at E/A = 50
MeV are compared. Neutron-rich isotopes are preferentially produced in central
collisions as compared to peripheral collisions. The influence of the size (A),
density, N/Z, E*/A, and Eflow/A of the emitting source on the measured isotope
ratios was explored by comparison with a statistical model (SMM). The
mid-rapidity region associated with peripheral collisions does not appear to be
neutron-enriched relative to central collisions.Comment: 12 pages including figure
The effect of metallicity on the Cepheid distance scale and its implications for the Hubble constant () determination
Recent HST determinations of the expansion's rate of the Universe (the Hubble
constant, H_0) assumed that the Cepheid Period-Luminosity relation at V and I
are independent of metallicity (Freedman, et al., 1996, Saha et al., 1996,
Tanvir et al., 1995). The three groups obtain different vales for H_0. We note
that most of this discrepancy stems from the asumption (by both groups) that
the Period-Luminosity relation is independent of metallicity. We come to this
conclusion as a result of our study of the Period-Luminosity relation of 481
Cepheids with 3 millions two colour measurements in the Large Magellanic Cloud
and the Small Magellanic Cloud obtained as a by-product of the EROS
microlensing survey. We find that the derived interstellar absorption
corrections are particularly sensitive to the metallicity and when our result
is applied to recent estimates based on HST Cepheids observations it makes the
low-H_0 values higher and the high-H_0 value lower, bringing those discrepant
estimates into agrement around .Comment: 4 pages, Latex, with 2 .ps accepted for publication astronomy and
astrophysics Letter
Signals for a Transition from Surface to Bulk Emission in Thermal Multifragmentation
Excitation-energy-gated two-fragment correlation functions have been studied
between 2 to 9A MeV of excitation energy for equilibrium-like sources formed in
and p + Au reactions at beam momenta of 8,9.2 and 10.2 GeV/c.
Comparison of the data to an N-body Coulomb-trajectory code shows a decrease of
one order of magnitude in the fragment emission time in the excitation energy
interval 2-5A MeV, followed by a nearly constant breakup time at higher
excitation energy. The observed decrease in emission time is shown to be
strongly correlated with the increase of the fragment emission probability, and
the onset of thermally-induced radial expansion. This result is interpreted as
evidence consistent with a transition from surface-dominated to bulk emission
expected for spinodal decomposition.Comment: 11 pages including 3 postscript figures (1 color
Observational Limits on Machos in the Galactic Halo
We present final results from the first phase of the EROS search for
gravitational microlensing of stars in the Magellanic Clouds by unseen
deflectors (machos: MAssive Compact Halo Objects). The search is sensitive to
events with time scales between 15 minutes and 200 days corresponding to
deflector masses in the range 1.e-7 to a few solar masses. Two events were
observed that are compatible with microlensing by objects of mass of about 0.1
Mo. By comparing the results with the expected number of events for various
models of the Galaxy, we conclude that machos in the mass range [1.e-7, 0.02]
Mo make up less than 20% (95% C.L.) of the Halo dark matter.Comment: 4 pages, 3 Postscript figures, to be published in Astronomy &
Astrophysic
EROS Variable Stars : Discovery of Beat Cepheids in the Small Magellanic Cloud and the effect of metallicity on pulsation
We report the discovery of eleven beat Cepheids in the Small Magellanic
Cloud, using data obtained by the EROS microlensing survey. Four stars are
beating in the fundamental and first overtone mode (F/1OT), seven are beating
in the first and second overtone (1OT/2OT). The SMC F/1OT ratio is
systematically higher than the LMC F/1OT, while the 1OT/2OT period ratio in the
SMC Cepheids is the same as the LMC one.Comment: 4 pages, Latex file with 4 .ps figures. accepted for publication in A
A Letter
Excitation and decay of projectile-like fragments formed in dissipative peripheral collisions at intermediate energies
Projectile-like fragments (PLF:15<=Z<=46) formed in peripheral and
mid-peripheral collisions of 114Cd projectiles with 92Mo nuclei at E/A=50 MeV
have been detected at very forward angles, 2.1 deg.<=theta_lab<=4.2 deg.
Calorimetric analysis of the charged particles observed in coincidence with the
PLF reveals that the excitation of the primary PLF is strongly related to its
velocity damping. Furthermore, for a given V_PLF*, its excitation is not
related to its size, Z_PLF*. For the largest velocity damping, the excitation
energy attained is large, approximately commensurate with a system at the
limiting temperatureComment: 5 pages, 6 figure
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